************
 

“Brian, come on! This is gonna be totally awesome and I don’t wanna miss it cause you’ve gotta fix your hair.”

I couldn’t help grinning at my reflection in the mirror – Mikey’s whining sounded so much like the Mikey of old, if anything could make me forget I was edging another year closer to the dreaded four oh, it would be my once and always “best friend” regressing to high school behavior. I couldn’t resist teasing, turning toward him and holding out my hands in mock supplication.

“What’s that, Mikey? Are you suggesting that I’m not naturally beautiful? That my hair needs attention? Maybe I should wash it again, add a little conditioner....”

Hunter and Emmett laughed while Michael shrieked, sounding very much like his mother. Reliable Zen-Ben walked over and put his arm around his husband, bending to place a loving kiss on his forehead.

“Relax, Michael. Brian knows you think he is forever young and beautiful, which necessarily includes every hair on his head. And which just happens to be how I feel about you, sweetheart,” Ben said patiently, adding before Michael could launch into any new complaints or explanations, “but Brian also can’t resist teasing you. So ignore him. He’ll get bored and be ready to leave faster than if you give him the reaction he wants,” Ben suggested, glancing over Mikey’s head to give me a stern look.

I tried to look chastened but I couldn’t help smirking as I tossed my hairbrush toward the dresser and slipped on Prada boots. It was still cool out for April so I grabbed my black leather jacket. I looped my arm over Michael’s shoulder, resting my hand lightly over Ben’s neck and squeezing it briefly in apology before asking, “is this it? Any other members of our little family joining up with us before we head to Babylon for the funeral?”

“You mean the festivities, oh hot one!” Hunter corrected me, grinning broadly. Emmett did his usual clapping and jumping up and down as he squealed until I glared him into submission – Hunter was more difficult to subdue so I ignored him, which was difficult. As it was, with the two of them grinning that much, I was fearful of walking too close to that much dental work – the glow from their pearly whites might blind me. But I didn’t say anything of the sort, which must be a sign of my getting older, I reflected, since I sure as hell wasn’t getting any nicer. Why the hell was I subjecting myself to some lame birthday party? I should have insisted that Danny and I take off for New York or LA, somewhere big enough to get lost in a crowd of strangers; then we could have celebrated my birthday properly, if a celebration had to be made. We could do it properly, by fucking each other’s brains out, far away from the interruptions of family and friends, however well-intentioned.

Thinking about how great my birthday could have been and how irritating it was going to be, I thought maybe it would be worth the effort to wipe away those grins.

“The others are meeting us at Babylon,” Ben interjected before I could say something nasty to Hunter to relieve my stress. Familiar with the signs of an incipient Kinney melt-down, he was usually the one to head me off at the pass – and thus prevent my “well-meaning” friends from making matters worse. “It’s not a birthday party for you, per se, Brian. Danny knows you hate them. They’re premiering a new public service announcement that Stephen Lane and he shot for the Campaign Against DADT. The Club’s been transformed for it and it looks fantastic.”

We kept walking as Hunter took up the story, speaking excitedly. “Yeah, Brandon was in on the negotiations and Johnny was involved as one of the dancers....though I shouldn’t have said that, as Danny wants you totally surprised and thrilled, which you will be because it’s totally mind-blowing. They’ll be recording live, although they did do a pre-recorded version in the studio earlier when....”

I looked at Ben.

“And they say he never broke under torture? Good thing Danny doesn’t want him to tell me anything. You think maybe I could torture him just a little to shut him up?”

Ben laughed although Michael frowned and shook his head. “That’s not funny Brian. Hunter could have died then. When I think about how Danny almost got you all killed....”

I raised an eyebrow. “You still blame Danny for all that craziness the other year? How about the government agents who actually grabbed the kid to get leverage on John O’Keefe and....”

“Don’t get started!” Emmett begged, as Michael looked quite willing to assign culpability to any and all O’Keefes. “The only people to blame were the terrorists but if we let them ruin our good times, then we’re letting them win – which is something I, for one, have no intention of doing!”

Deciding that Emmett had sufficiently dealt with the defense of Danny’s honor, Hunter changed the subject. Or at least shifted it slightly.

“Have you seen Danny’s new protégé? That little hottie is quite the singing and dancing sensation. Though I guess you can’t really call her little–she’s about six feet tall, isn’t she, Dad? This is going to be her debut tonight.”

This was news. Danny had a new protégé? I tried to look as though I knew all about it and just made a non-committal grunt. Given my lack of interest in anything female, no one should have been surprised but Emmett gave me a knowing look – damn him. Still, he also gave me more information, adding casually.

“Yep, one Miss Maria Senyour. She’s a discovery of Etienne’s. Danny’s been working on her first album, along with some videos, and she has a part in the commercial, which will be a boost to her career they hope. She’s a good dance partner for Danny – not only are they about the same height with mile long legs, she’s got cheekbones like his, sharp enough to cut glass, and she has these deep green eyes that are dark enough to be O’Keefe green. He tells me they aren’t contacts but her natural eye color. It’s funny to see them together,” Em added with a sidelong look at me, “she’s this streetwise Chicago girl but he treats her like she’s Julie or Colleen, you know? Just another one of his nieces.”

That would merit a raised eyebrow but I left it to Ben – which just confirmed my own impression that Em was trying way too hard. When that happily homosexually married man reacts like that about a woman, I’ve got to think she’s something out of the ordinary. I had to ask, though as casually as possible, “So, you’ve seen this new protégé, Ben?”

Ben had gotten out no more than “well, I....”

Mikey whirled. “What? You know about it? You didn’t tell me that you were involved in the program tonight! I thought only I was.”

Ben looked self-conscious. And guilty. At least, I thought it was guilt. With his stoically handsome features, more than one expression at a time is a stretch. Whatever emotions he was struggling with, it was obvious that they were causing the big guy distress and I refused to cede the role of distressed person to Ben. So, my only choice was to distract Mikey. Kissing him always worked. So I did.

“What was that for?” Mikey asked, confused but happy, and completely distracted from Ben’s knowledge of green-eyed girls. Which was good, except that Hunter was snickering. He looked like he was going to tell his dad exactly why I’d kissed him but Emmett dragged him ahead to walk at a faster pace.

I gave Ben an amused look; he was too loyal to share it. Instead, he gave Mikey an abbreviated explanation. “I helped Danny with a bit of the storyline for Maria’s video, like you worked on the other storyline. You knew he was working on a video in addition to the commercial for DADT. He just wanted to keep the details of it a surprise as much as he could . I haven’t seen the final footage, only Etienne, Danny and Maria have to my knowledge. But I’m sure it’s going to be as exciting as all of Etienne and Danny’s collaborations are.”

My mouth twisted despite my best intentions to remain impassive. So much for shielding Ben from a Mikey insecurity fit – he had to go and trigger one of mine. Not that I actually have any insecurity. Not about Danny and Etienne and certainly not about him and any long-legged wench. It was just that I couldn’t help but recall Ben’s comments from years ago about creating together being such an aphrodisiac. I managed to deal with the whole pet French Oscar winner who happened to be devastatingly attractive with that whole ugly, sexy thing going for him, and now I had some tall, sexy dancer slash singer female....

I hated birthdays.
 

************
 

“You ready?” I looked at Maria and smiled.

“Not in a million years, Coach,” she gave me a cocky smirk back even if the hand she held out was shaking. The “Coach” was a half sarcastic, half serious reference to my utter lack of ability to play any sport except soccer. Maria had insisted on dragging me out onto a basketball court. It had provided a great ego boost on a day when she’d felt like she couldn’t get anything right. By the time she finished laughing her ass off at my attempts to dribble past the huge monsters in the pick-up game she’d gotten us into, which was not in my good old Irish neighborhood but one near where she was staying, where the level of play was a hell of a lot better. After she composed herself, she started coaching the coach and showed me how to use my jumping ability to soar over their heads. I found myself making easy baskets and enjoying basketball for the first time in my life.

I couldn’t wait to try it out with my brothers. But we’d had to focus on her album and video, not to mention the PSA opposing DADT so my burgeoning career as a basketball star had to be put on hold.

Etienne had discovered Maria at an open audition for his next movie and while the movie was still in limbo, he told me his camera fell in love with her. I suspect it didn’t hurt that her life story touched that soft heart of his that he likes to pretend is so hard and tough. She’d been on her own since her mother had died when she was a just a kid. She’d spent a few years in foster homes after that, no other relatives stepping up to the plate to act as guardians. But, she’d survived. Better than survived. She was an awesome person. I couldn’t wait to introduce her to Brian. We’d done most of our work in New York and he hadn’t met her yet but I knew he’d like her. He could deny it until he was blue in the face but he loved spunk – in all its delightful forms.

I hugged Maria tightly as I whispered in her ear, “you’ll be brilliant.... I never let my partners be anything less.”

She laughed, as I’d intended. I tipped her chin up. “You’re going to be brilliant tonight and tonight’s audience is just the beginning. We’ll get the place warmed up with ‘Ave Maria’ and then knock it out of the park with the DADT number.”

“Did you tell your Brian what is planned for his birthday surprise?”

I laughed. “‘My Brian’ as you so charmingly call him, does not do birthdays. So, this is not for his birthday, though I do hope he will like it. This big deal is purely for the cause, which he does do, even if he never admits to it. But it is usually a good idea not to tell him too much about things like this ahead of time. It minimizes the complaining.”

“You two done cuddling and ready to wow a roomful of gay men and the handful of breeders out there?” Etienne poked his head around a corner. I reached out an arm.

“There’s room in this hug for one more if you can delay Maria’s stardom for a few moments – and the room full of gay men will always be there.”

“I’ve always time for a hug, but I must warn you that fame and fortune are knocking hard – and they do not always wait, my child, so we must be quick.” He strode quickly into the room and his long arms encompassed both of us in a hard, quick hug. Then he stood back and looked at us critically before nodding.

“Black leather, yes. It suits you both. I really think I’m going to have to look into getting the rights to that ‘Rage’ film and making it with you two in it as Rage and the dropdead gorgeous lesbian superhero, Sappho.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “Could they have been any more obvious with that name?”

I punched Maria lightly on the arm. “Be happy – Michael’s original name for the character was Zappho–with a silent ‘h’– but Ben convinced him to go more classic, less Marx Brothers.” I pulled my mask out of my pocket. “Showtime.” I struck a pose.

Etienne looked at me admiringly. “It is amazing how much you’ve managed to look like the Rage of the comic book. With your hair like that and in that costume...you are...a superhero. The video is spectacular but the live performance, I think it will blow them away. Maria, are you ready to do your part?”

In answer, she pulled out her mask and snapped it into place.

“I was born ready.”
 

************
 

“You know, you could try to look as though you were enjoying yourself, John. We’re here to support a good cause, not to mention our son and your brother. Oh look, there’s Brian and Emmett – guys, over here!” Mickey waved vigorously. I gently pulled her arm down, fortunately Em had seen her before she fell off the catwalk in her eagerness to find someone willing to talk to us.

My fall from grace and new status as family pariah had been hard on her. She hadn’t been around during the previous times when I’d been on the outs with my family, most notably after my marriage to Carol and more recently when I fought with Jamie outside Mama’s hospital room – not my shining moment. In this case, I didn’t really feel like I’d done wrong since I’d followed my conscience in a bad situation, but I’d been prepared to deal with the typical blow-up first, think later O’Keefe reaction when it finally came out that Luke was alive and that I had kept his secret from the family. In the usual way of our family, the joy over his survival was overshadowed by the hurt that he had let them all grieve for him for so long. With Luke hiding in Scotland until he felt able to deal with them, and Danny deemed an injured party too, despite the fact that after he did learn the truth he made the same choice I did, to honor Luke’s wishes, I was the family scapegoat.

I’d expected that – most of my siblings do not have Danny’s great wealth of forgiveness nor his deep well of love and understanding. He offered to talk to them – hell, he did talk to them – but it didn’t matter. They needed to vent their pain and grief and I was the handiest and most familiar source. They all were furious at me, with the exception of Mary Fran. In one of the bravest acts of her life, she stood up to the rest and took my side, telling even our two oldest sisters they could go to hell before she’d listen to anything said against me, but that I had acted in accordance to my code of honor as a lawyer and if they could not understand it, they should at least respect it and be quiet. Of course, the fact that I had gone to Haiti and did my part, with Luke, to save her twins might have played a part in her loyalty, but I was comforted by it. I needed the comfort. After finally feeling like part of my own family after so many years of feeling isolated, it hurt far more than I thought it would to have them freezing me out again.

My wife was a whole other issue. Mickey stood by my side publicly, but privately? She was mad as hell that I had not told her the truth about...well...everything. The events of Danny’s kidnapping by the terrorists who were trying to get at Luke, the government agents who grabbed me for essentially the same reason, which events put an end to any chance of our adopting – all of it came to a head and ignited all sorts of resentments that I’d thought had been resolved.

I sighed. Danny had suggested that I’d feel better if I got away to Scotland for awhile and worked out my own issues with Luke. The way Michelle was feeling, I’d be eighty before she ever let me out of her sight. And from what I could tell, the Ghost Soldiers’ getaway was not especially female friendly. I had to grin. Mickey had a lot of great qualities and I loved her dearly, but an appreciation of the beauties of the wilderness – and wild men – were not among them.

Though she was fond of Emmett. Brian was more of an acquired taste, though from the way she greeted him tonight you would think he was a favorite. He played along, giving her a kiss and accepting her birthday greeting with barely a wince. He turned toward me.

“You’re deep in thought tonight, counselor. Always good to see you and your lovely bride honoring us with your presence – gives Babylon a touch of class, though now that I look around, I see a plethora of O’Keefes and their ladies. That may be more class than this place can stand.” His raised eyebrow made it clear that it was more than he cared for, getting a laugh from Hunter.

Ben hugged Mickey while Michael started chattering to her right away. “Great to see you! We understand from Hunter that Johnny is dancing tonight. I guess that’s why you’re here. I suppose this is your first time in a gay club, huh?”

Mickey smiled brightly. “We’ve been in quite a few, but Babylon is a favorite, Michael.” She turned to Emmett. “Em, darling, why don’t we go get that new drink you’ve been dying to introduce me to?”

I found myself relieved that she had escaped with Emmett – I no longer had to pretend to be having a good time for her sake. Hunter, Michael and Ben soon excused themselves to socialize with some neighbors of theirs, two guys whom Brian forbid them to invite to join us; he bluntly said that if he wanted to be bored to death he’d watch “Gay as Blazes” on TV and skip the home version. Quite frankly, Ben looked as though he shared the sentiment as Michael dragged him off to talk to the other couple. Brian turned his sharp gaze back to me – I managed to remain expressionless by remembering him at seventeen. Skinny kid that he was then, all attitude.

“So, things are still hunky and dory in the land of the green-eyed pod people, I see, and you’re the pod pariah.” He did that tongue in cheek, eyebrow raised expression of his and I couldn’t help laughing, dumb as the comment was, because it was the same expression I’d been picturing in my mind from over twenty years earlier. Brian smiled.

“Good,” he said softly. “Matt and Jamie are looking over now, wondering why you aren’t still looking sad and lonely, as a good pariah should. By the way, what you’re also looking is six kinds of hot, and if you weren’t so straight and my hot lover’s older brother, I’d so do you.”

That made me laugh even more, the twinkle in Brian’s hazel eyes being reassuring proof that he was not serious.

“Jared chose my clothes, at his insistence – which makes me think I let my sons spend far too much time in your townhouse.” We laughed again. In all honesty, I liked to think I had a decent sense of style, but I let Jared pick out my clothes for this outing and he chose a far younger style of jeans and a more snug fitting shirt than I would have picked. The flattering reaction from Mickey when we left made me realize that I hadn’t taken much care with my appearance in a while, perhaps due to my down mood, but also perhaps out of concern that she would think I was on the prowl again. But the truth was, Mickey had always gotten a good bit of pleasure out of my looks, despite her complaints about other women liking them too much. I sighed – so many mixed signals. I wished I found marriage and love as easy as my brothers did.

“Stop worrying so much,” Brian said softly. “Life’s too short.”

I glanced at him, surprised, but also touched by his obvious concern. “I appreciate the advice. And that you care enough to share it. I was just thinking, actually, how much easier my brothers have had it in terms of love – but I didn’t really count Danny and you in that ‘had it easy’ category. Do you?”

Brian smirked. “Nah. But then, I would never say it wasn’t worth what I have gone through either. I wouldn’t trade places with Joey for the world, happy as he is. His way isn’t my way, you know?”

I nodded. It wasn’t mine either. We were wired differently. Just then, the music stopped, and a spotlight shone onstage. The crowd went crazy as the tall, lean form of Stephen Lane walked out. He was someone else who was wired along those complex, never have it simple or without some pain lines. But he seemed to have made his peace with it. Hell, he looked like a damn happy man most of the time.

Lane spread his arms wide and bowed, then stood upright and clapped his hands to quell the loud applause that continued unabated since he’d walked onstage. Three large screens were broadcasting above him, showing the wildly enthusiastic crowd. From our vantage point on the catwalk, we had a good view of both the stage and the screens. The show was being broadcast on one of the local networks, and also was being taped to be broadcast later on one of Phil Regin’s TV magazines.

I’d gone over the contracts – they’d done some outstanding promotional work. Since I represented Danny, I’d bowed out from representing their new discovery and had referred her to a colleague, but I was impressed by all that was being done for her. If she wasn’t a star after a debut like this, she should change careers completely.

“I thank all of you for being here and showing your support for our cause, which is one more step in the road to equality. We have tremendous hope that soon, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, will be a bad memory here in the United States....” Etienne paused for applause and cheers. “We thank your representatives to Congress who are here tonight....” And he called up on stage the handful of politicians who came out. You had to give them credit in these Tea Party days that they were willing to appear at such a liberal event. Especially one mounted by a Frenchman, hell, he was not even able to vote in this country – though Danny assured me that Etienne put quite a bit of money into the political campaigns that he favored. And he was a very popular actor, despite being bi-sexual. As Brian would say, people like popular people – that’s what makes them so popular. And that being the case, popular people can sell things, products, ideas, whatever, better than other people.

“While we are gearing up, we have a few ...appetizers... for you, c’est pas? To whet your appetites,” Etienne grinned. “We must pay the bills, you see, for this party, and to do that, I will be showing you peeks at some new movies, some new videos, and then, yes, we will show you our brilliant new commercial! Is that a plan?”

Naturally the crowd roared its agreement with his proposed course of action. Etienne laughed and called out, in a perfect director’s manner, “Lights, camera, ACTION!”

I sensed Mickey and the others coming back as the first couple of clips played. I accepted a beer from someone, but the videos were so engrossing, my attention was totally captured by what was on the large center screen. Then, a hush came over the crowd as the large center screen was filled with the scene of a young African American girl on a street in what looked like an inner city neighborhood; she was walking past a gang of street toughs and she managed to convey both the loneliness and the courage of her walk. It looked like late fall from the way the wind blew the trash along the ground and she huddled with her hands in her thin hoodie. A woman’s strong voice sang to a piano accompaniment.

 

She was lost, in so many different ways,
Out in the darkness with no guide,
I know the cost, of a losing hand,
Never for the grace of God, go I.....
 

The scene shifted to the girl, seeming slightly older, maybe mid-teen, being led into the classroom of a young teacher – Danny, looking his most angelic – who was apparently a music and dance instructor in a private school.

“Fame meets Goodbye, Mr. Chips,” Brian murmured. I grinned, that did seem to be what they were going for. It was a testament to Etienne’s gifts as a director and scriptwriter, as well as to the talent of the young actress and of course Danny, that with no words other than the lyrics of the song, they were able to convey so much story. In fast-paced scenes, the teacher became protector, mentor and champion to the girl who moved from despised outsider to admired star of the school. I realized that it must have been clever make-up and editing that made the “girl” look so young; as the video moved on to a new phase it became clear that the singer’s true appearance was that of a young woman in her twenties – and it was at this point that a slight nagging familiarity gave birth to a gnawing sense of recognition.

And then there was a glimpse of the girl doing a beautifully executed lay-up on a basketball court – I inhaled sharply. I knew those moves.

 

I found heaven on earth,
you are my last, my first,
And then I hear this voice inside,
Ave Maria.....
 

************

I heard a strangled kind of gasp and turned, John O’Keefe looked like he was seeing a ghost. One who had sucker-punched him in the gut. I put a hand on his arm to steady him. I was afraid he was going to pass out and fall off the catwalk. I looked at the screen more closely. It had to be the woman. Nothing in Danny’s performance to throw him – though seeing Danny play a hetero romantic lead always made me a bit queasy. He did it so damn convincingly. But John wouldn’t care about that, so it had to be the girl – the girl with the green eyes and cheekbones that could cut glass – features like an O’Keefe. Like some O’Keefes, that is. Danny...Luke...and...the man standing next to me who had a problem with condoms.

The romance between the girl and her music teacher was heating up on-screen, with Danny and his protégé now in that “fighting the attraction but not being very successful at it” stage. He was grooming her for some big competition and there were lots of lingering touches and close hugs until they finally kissed and fell into bed.

 

I’ve been alone,
When I’m surrounded by friends,
How could the silence be so loud?
But I still go,
Home knowing that I’ve got you
There’s only us,
When the lights go down.
 

Watching John’s white knuckled grip on the railing as he watched Danny’s body wrapped around the lithe form of the young woman on the screen, an image that had most of the crowd sighing romantically or creaming in their jeans depending on their level of involvement in the action, I had one of those flashes of instinct that Danny usually gets. I had no doubt that Maria Senyour was John’s daughter – and I was willing to bet my Corvette that he had no clue before watching this video that she existed. There must be enough resemblance to her mother that he had no doubt about it now either.

Damn, he never got a break.

 

You are my heaven on earth,
You are my hunger, my thirst,
I always hear this voice inside,
Saying Ave Maria.....
 

Seeing how well Danny and this Maria moved together, dancing, making love, I found myself wondering exactly how far their rehearsals went. Damn, couldn’t he see how much she looked like, well, himself? She was his niece Julie cast in mocha. Well, not quite, but close enough.

Actually, not at all, I thought, continuing to observe her closely. This woman was her own person, with an O’Keefe veneer, the cheekbones, the eyes, with their rich color and those sharply shaped eyebrows. But those full lips, the broader nose than any O’Keefe ever had, and that rich, kinky curly hair – those were all new and they came together into quite a package, along with her high, full ass, and muscular legs. Her mother must have been something, and from the look on his face, she must have been far more than one of Adonis O’Keefe’s one night stands.

I cast my mind back, trying to remember if I ever saw John with any black woman. He went out with so many women, all of them beautiful, none of them around for more than a week before they were replaced with someone new. The only one who was ever around more than that, other than Mickey was...

The basketball player. Damn. That woman he hung out with on the courts. He did it on the sly so his dad wouldn’t find out and blow his top. Joey said it was just to relieve the pressure of school and soccer. But John had never dated her. Fucking damn. I looked at him again. He couldn’t get any paler. I hoped he wasn’t going to have a heart attack. That would suck. Ted had wanted to get a defibrillator for the club, I wondered if he ever got around to it. Dr. Jo was here but no telling if she would do anything, given that Matt was still mad at John. There was that whole hypocrites oath that doctors followed.

The video finished much as I expected it would. The girl goes on to fame, the teacher stays behind, until she is walking out onto a big stage, Carnegie Hall or something like that, and she looks out and sees nothing but that lonely street from her past.

 

Sometimes love can come and pass you by
While you’re busy making plans,
Suddenly hit you and then you realize,
It’s out of your hands, baby you’ve got to realize,
 

And next thing you know, she’s running to catch a plane, and is walking onto his stage, all big star glamorous, and he has this touch of gray, but she runs and jumps into his arms like she jumped to score a basket.

 

You are my last my first,
My heaven on earth,
And then I hear this voice inside
Saying Ave Maria, Ave Maria
Ave....Maria.
 

Under cover of the applause, which was deafening, I turned, ready to confront John with what I’d figured out, when a boorishly loud voice made itself heard over the crowd around us.

“Well, guess there just must be something about those O’Keefes and their brown sugar – they can’t get enough of it. It must be like they say, once you go...”

John didn’t let him finish the sentence. The guy was as tall as we were and had about fifty pounds of muscle on us, not to mention being a good ten years younger, but John hit him hard enough to send him to the floor. I grabbed him back by the arm as he looked ready to follow up with a few kicks to make sure the guy stayed down. I also signaled for some bouncers, since the boorish bruiser had three similarly sized friends who were rolling up their sleeves. This is what came from letting in breeders, I thought with disgust.

There was no need, as it turned out. Matt, Jamie and Ben were lined up behind John when I turned around. Others were there too but those three were the most physically intimidating.

“I think you might want to take your buddy out of here,” Matt said sternly, his deep voice calm, but his tone leaving no doubt – it was not a suggestion but a command. Jamie’s glower was scary looking but I knew from personal experience that Matt was by far the brother you least wanted to mess with – after Luke. Matt only fought when there was what he considered to be a good reason, and then he went in no holds barred.

One of the men was stupid enough to ask, “and if we decide we want to stay?”

“Then I’m going to break several of your bones, and my brother will break some of your friend’s there,” Matt pointed to one of the other men, “and my bad-tempered brother, no telling how much damage or what kind he’ll do – he has no self-control at all when he gets angry.” Matt jerked his chin toward John, who was standing next to me, pale and still. I appeared to be holding him back but in truth, I was holding him up just as much. It didn’t matter what the truth was though, the idiots were suitably terrified now and grabbed their unconscious buddy and let my bouncers lead them away.

Matt turned to John. “You okay, Jack?”

“Why the big fuss? It’s not like the man didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”

Oh great. Mickey O’Keefe now stood behind us, hands on her hips, eyes flashing. Matt looked awkward. John still looked like he was seconds away from cardiac arrest so I stepped in.

“Mickey, this is not a good....”

“Butt out, Brian. Though I guess it is pointless to say this is between John and me...since when is anything just between John and me. He chooses to sandbag me with the news that he has a lovely child in front of all of our friends and family. Such as they are. Tell me, Matt, does John’s half black illegitimate child bring him back into the family fold or push him further beyond the pale? I’m never quite sure what will win favor or lose it among you O’Keefes.”

Well, I wasn’t sure how news of this apparent daughter would be received, but it didn’t take the expert in reading people that I am to know that a drunken racist rant like that would not be well received. Being drunk, however, Mickey didn’t seem to realize that she was offending both Jo and Daphne, who were standing near enough to hear and be hurt by her rant, as well as their husbands. John just stared at her blankly, I don’t know if he quite knew what to say or do, or even if he had gotten beyond processing the fact that his old gal pal had neglected to tell him they shared more than a love of basketball.

“Why don’t I run you two kids home,” I suggested, looking at John, and wondering what it would take to get the Jock Doc to take a good look at his brother.

“Oh no,” Mickey protested, “we can’t leave now. You have your big birthday surprise coming, why shouldn’t you get to have your night of nights celebrated, just because my husband can’t help his mistakes coming back to haunt him...or rather, haunt me.”

“Please stop it, Mickey,” John finally spoke.

“Or what, John? You’ll hit me too?”

I stared at Mickey in disbelief. I wasn’t the only one. Was she insane? John O’Keefe was far from perfect but he’d never hit any woman, much less this one, whom he adored. I knew that, his big dumb brothers knew it, but an idiot arrived who seemed to share her delusion.

“I won’t let him harm you, Michelle.” A youngish guy, couldn’t have been more than thirty, came up next to Mickey O’Keefe to hover protectively. I think we all blinked in unison – me, the O’Keefe brothers, Ben, even Mickey, though that might have been mere coincidence in her case..

“Who’s the boy toy?” Hunter was the first to break the silence that followed. Daphne giggled, that imp.

“Mickey?” John looked at his wife in shock.

“Let me take you home, Michelle.” Ignoring all of us, this tall, blond young man solicitously leaned over Mickey O’Keefe as though she were some fragile doll and whispered in her ear.

I could hear Hunter laugh slightly but no one else.

“Fenton. What are you doing here?” John straightened up and looked the charmed in his limpid blue eyes. “And why are you hanging all over my wife?”

So John knew this interloper. And he wasn’t kicking his ass – he had mellowed. Once again, the brothers closed ranks behind him, proof that his status as pariah was temporary. I stood close to his left as Ben took his right flank. Mickey looked at us and snorted. “Oh puhlease. Now you’re all ready to stand by him? I’m heading home now after all, John. Tell Johnny I’m sorry to miss his performance. Of course, he may be so busy meeting his new...sibling...he won’t care. Fenton, you do not need to explain yourself to my darling husband. He is about a dozen explanations behind at this point. Jo, Daphne, sorry if I offended you – I only intended to offend John. Matt, Jamie...go fuck yourselves.”

With that, Mickey took the arm of her boy toy and left.

The rest of us stared at each other for all of ten seconds, but the lights lowering and the sound of Etienne at the microphone told us that the main performance was about to begin.

“Why don’t we put off any discussion until after the show,” Dr. Jo sensibly said. “John, I think you should drink some water and perhaps you will take this aspirin? You do not look as though you are feeling well. Will you come sit down over here with me?”

John gave a faint smile. “Thank you, Jo, but I am fine. Just a bit...startled. I’ll feel better standing over here where there is the occasional whiff of fresh air. But I’ll be glad to join you in a little bit, if the invitation stands.”

She inclined her head in that regal way of hers. “Of course.”

“About Mickey...what she said...she’s upset....She’s been dealing with a lot over the last couple of years. It’s been hard.”

“Do not concern yourself over that. I understand completely. We will talk, later, both you and I, and Mickey and I. We were remiss, Daphne and I, in not reaching out to her after she lost the baby. Since Daphne’s pregnancy, I am afraid we did not want to distress her. Instead, we made her feel even more alone. And that was wrong. She’s been very kind to both of us, always. And if her distress over this...surprise...has made her speak words she does not really mean...well, we all do that sometimes.” She gave Matt a meaningful look. He flushed and looked guilty. Good. He’d been an ass toward John lately.

“Quiet, they’re starting,” Emmett hissed from the other side of John.

The three large screens lifted to reveal a full set. It was designed to look like a comic book city, skyscrapers and roving lights shone across a midnight blue sky. On one side stood tenement buildings with fire escape style stairs crisscrossing the exteriors, on the landing of one such stair, a masked woman in a long black leather coat stood tall.

“Sappho!” Michael exclaimed gleefully as she started to sing, while soldiers appeared on the ground, falling back under an onslaught of outlandishly clad evil villains who managed to convey the look of fat caricatures of politicians.

 

Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where's the street-wise Hercules
To fight the rising odds?
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and turn and dream of what I need....
 

As “Sappho” swung down from the fire escape, a second leather-clad figure appeared. He was greeted by the loud cheers of the crowd, and a sick feeling in my stomach at who it was who looked to be flying to the rescue.

Fucking Rage. I now knew how John was feeling as I was feeling the same, like I just got punched in the gut.

 

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night
He's gotta be strong
And he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight.
 

The crowd joined in on the song, as Rage – God, it was hard to believe it was Danny, he looked so much like Rage is portrayed, hell, more than like he’d ever been portrayed, he was Rage – moved from soldier to soldier, kissing the life back into one man after another. And he moved just as powerfully among the evildoers, vanquishing them with his steely gaze and fancy dance moves. Sappho did the same kissing reviving thing with the female soldiers, along with singing.

 

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light
He's gotta be sure
And it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life
 

Once the soldiers were all up, they joined in the dancing, led by Rage. It was no doubt a stirring number, only I was too caught up in the past to appreciate it. My past. The superhero party I’d thrown to celebrate the publishing of Rage – its coming out, so to speak, and Justin’s first goodbye. His first real one. When he walked out on me and left with that damn fiddler. Left me with the fake Rage. Whoever had the idea of decking Danny out like a fucking fake Rage was ...probably my fucking best friend.

 

Somewhere after midnight
In my wildest fantasy
Somewhere just beyond my reach
There's someone reaching back for me
Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat
It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet
 

Danny and that girl...Maria...were leading the troupe of soldiers now as they danced together, male/male and female/female, in joyful triumph over the DADT villains. Objectively, it was a fun, lighthearted piece that was sure to go viral once it hit youtube. Subjectively, I hated Danny as Rage, hated Danny’s chemistry with this woman, and really fucking hated the way I was reacting, especially since I was going to have to pretend to love it.

 

Up where the mountains meet the heavens above
Out where the lightning splits the sea
I would swear that there's someone somewhere
Watching me

Through the wind and the chill and the rain
And the storm and the flood
I can feel his approach
Like the fire in my blood.
 

Seeing “Rage” pull yet another man into a deep kiss, I decided I wasn’t that good an actor. I turned around to the bar and grabbed a bottle of Jim Beam from the bartender. I was going to need more than beer. A lot more.

I need a hero....

 

************
 

Leaving Maria with Etienne so that she could speak briefly to some press people – no one did that better than Etienne – I hurried over to Brian and the gang. I didn’t take the time to change from my Rage outfit, partially because I couldn’t wait to see him but mainly because I knew he’d love the leather. Or at least, I thought I knew it.

“Brian! Happy non-you-know-what Day!” I tried to pull him into my arms but he held me off.

“Take that fucking thing off and then let’s go,” he snapped.

“What the fuck?” I was shocked. I looked around at the others. For the most part, they were looking away, not meeting my eyes. Michael, never a good barometer of anything, was the only one to look happy. He chirped, “Great commercial, Danny. You make almost as good a Rage as Connor James did. Did you ever see him? He was supposed to play Rage back when it was in production before, you know. Justin had worked on it in LA for about a year and....”

And when was he going to mention this, I wondered, staring at my lover’s set, angry expression. Ben somehow got Michael to shut up; he looked at me apologetically. “You look wonderful, Danny, beyond compare.” The others all chimed in with similar comments – but not Brian. He stayed quiet. And not John. He had an odd expression on his face. He was looking toward Maria and Etienne, who were still down on the floor, talking to some reporters.

Something strange was going on. But Brian was my first concern. I thought he’d like this Rage thing. In fact...damn. It was Michael who had assured me he would. I should have my head examined. Still, there was no reason for him to be this pissed off. I could feel my temper starting to flare.

I tugged on Brian’s arm and wrapped my free one around his waist.

“Come on,” I whispered in my deepest, “fuck me” voice. “Why don’t we slip into the back room and I’ll treat you to a little Rage action for your birthday...public sex, your favorite thing.”

He exploded. “Fuck off, Danny!”

To my total disbelief, Brian yanked my arm away and stormed off. Heading out of Babylon. I was about to blow up myself but Ben grabbed me.

“There’s something you’d probably better be told before you get mad, Danny. Something we should have told you sooner, but it never occurred to me that Brian would react like this.”

Before I could answer, John turned to me and asked in his lowest, quietest voice, which was the John equivalent of being one second from melt-down. “Before you speak with Ben, Danny, could you please introduce me to your co-star.”

I blinked. “Now?”

I swear he ground his teeth. “Yes, please.”

“We’re betting there’s a good reason why she has O’Keefe green eyes,” Hunter whispered from behind me, only he did it about three decibels too loudly. John paled – and he was already looking like a ghost – and I now noticed about a half dozen of my relatives within eavesdropping distance. With a sinking feeling, I glanced toward the door and saw that Brian was storming out of the club. But with the only bit of luck I seemed destined to have, I caught Eti’s eye. I managed to signal to him with the sign language we’ve developed over the years both to send Maria to the dressing room – no way was I having John meet her in this crowd – and to follow Brian. Eti would stop him from doing anything too crazy. Or anyone.

I ran a hand through my hair. Maybe I could grab a shower backstage while John and Maria – oh my God, was she my niece? And I kissed her like that?

“Danny is looking as pale as John – maybe we’d better make them both sit down,” someone said.

“We’re going to leave you all for a bit,” I said firmly. “Hunter – drinks are on me. Keep everyone happy. We’ll be back...in a bit. John, come with me.”

Grabbing John’s arm, I took him to meet Maria. Damn, I wondered how she would handle this?”
 

TBC